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Penn Relays
Penn Relays a carnival on and off the track PHILADELPHIA (AP), April 2008 -- The Penn Relays is all about excess, on the track and off. From the 7,000 high school runners, to the bevy of speedy college teams, to the number of NCAA champions and prospective Olympians, the excitement inside Franklin Field during the Relays is rivaled only by the carnival atmosphere at the weekend-long party surrounding the venerable stadium. "It's a phenomenal event," said three-time Olympian Marcus O'Sullivan, who competed at the Penn Relays with Villanova before becoming coach at his alma mater. "It is way bigger than just collegiate track and field. It is an anomaly, if you will, in the U.S. in track and field. "It has almost become this huge, entertaining spectacle where it is equally as good to be a spectator as it is to be competing here." The 114th running of track's oldest relay meet steps off in earnest Thursday morning in April 2008. Tens of thousands are expected to crowd the streets of the University of Pennsylvania campus for three days filled with track and field events and spiced with an international flair, delivered in huge supply by the Jamaican teams and their raucous fans. The showcase of the meet once again -- and especially in this Olympic year -- will be the Relay's six "USA vs. the World" races on Saturday. Team USA has a 15-3 record over the last three years, since going 6-0 in 2004. Among those expected to compete for the U.S. team in the nationally televised, high-profile events are Jeremy Wariner, the 400 meter and 400 relay gold medalist at the Athens Olympics; Shawn Crawford, the 200 winner in Athens; Derrick Brew, a member of the winning 1,600 relay team in Athens; Angelo Taylor, a double gold medalist at the Sydney games; and Olympians John Capel, Darvis Patton, Andrew Rock, Darold Williamson, Kelly Willie, Allyson Felix, Torri Edwards, Sanya Richards, Angela Williams, Muna Lee and LaShinda Demus. "It's an unbelievable day, just to savor it and watch it. To compete in it might almost be considered an inconvenience," O'Sullivan said with a laugh. One coach who will be paying particularly close attention to Team USA will be UCLA's Jeanette Bolden, who is also the U.S. Olympic women's coach for the Beijing Games in August. "I also get to see how the U.S. women are doing," Bolden said. "I am looking at their baton exchanges, of course, how the baton moves through the zone, and how poised they are; a lot of little things that make up a championship team." While the "USA vs. the World" relays are the highlight of Saturday's competition, the high school and college races are the anchor of the 317-event extravaganza. Competition opens Thursday with the focus on high school girls and college women, as well a night schedule that includes college men's, women's and Olympic Development races. On Friday, the high school boys and college men dominate the program. The meet reaches its crescendo Saturday with a number of Championship of America races mixed among the "USA vs. the World" events. But make no mistake, the high school and college events are just as important to the Relays as the marquee races. Texas, coached by Bubba Thornton and led by senior Leonel Manzano, is talented and deep enough to make a run at a Penn Relays triple in the distance medley, 4-mile and 3,200 relay events. Also, the men and women from LSU are coming off a strong performance at the Texas Relays. "The talent that runs through the stadium is really mind-boggling," LSU coach Dennis Shaver. "It is just an exciting thing, and the talent is just tremendous." The Relays also mark the return to Philadelphia of some of the area's finest prep runners, including UCLA's Nicole Leach, a junior out of West Catholic who is expected to run in the 400 meter and 1,600 meter relays. LSU's LaTavia Thomas, part of the Tigers' NCAA champion 1,600 relay team last year, also from West Catholic, and teammate Juanita Broaddus, out of William Penn High, will also return to Franklin Field.